Be As One
by Zineku
Summary: Valentine's day in Magnolia! Fairy Tail is celebrating as usual. Everyone should be happy, but Erza's feelings are still hurting. One-sided Grayza. Some reference to Jerza, Gruvia, and canon couples.
1. Valentine's Day

**Hi, I'm new here and this is my first fanfiction ever. English is not my first language, so I apology for the mistakes I will probably make, and please let me know about them to help me improve my writing :)**

**I don't want to make this introduction too long, but I want to express my deep love for Grayza, even when I know it will not be canon. Well, basically that's what I wanted to capture in this fic after all, and I hope the people who ship this couple likes it too.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, nor its characters.**

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**Chapter 1:** "Valentine's Day"

Valentine's Day, one of the happiest days for everyone in Magnolia… everyone, except for her.

It was a beautiful sunny morning. Couples could be seen enjoying themselves at restaurants, buying candies, or relaxing on a nearby seat at the square. Love was in the air; the streets where full of music, balloons, sweets, stuffed animals... everything to make this date special.

Erza was on her way to Fairy Tail trying to avoid the happy couples as much as possible without looking weird. Even when she loved to see Magnolia in such a great mood, she couldn't help but to feel a little out of place being the only one walking alone. Of course we all know Erza is a strong woman, but "love" was always a delicate topic for her… she didn't know how to feel about it. After all, Jellal -the one she loved- had rejected her when she tried to kiss him that day in the beach before the Grand Magic Games started.

"Jellal…"

Lost in her thoughts, the red haired gal didn't realize she was already standing in front of Fairy Tail. She took a deep breath to prepare herself, and opened the doors.

As she expected, the guild was a total mess. Natsu and Gray were fighting as usual, Lucy and Lissana were trying to stop Natsu so they could give him their chocolates, but Loke auto-summoned himself and confidently took one from Lucy's box to piss her off. Juvia was crying because Gray accidentally stepped on her love-poisoned-chocolates while fighting Natsu, and Lyon (what was he doing here?!) tried to get into the fight to give Gray a lesson and show Juvia his strength. A few steps away was Elfman yelling manly things at them while Evergreen gathered the courage to give him a heart shaped box she had been carrying all morning. Levi made some iron candies to Gajeel, but was having troubles finding the right moment to give them to him because Jet and Droy didn't stop following her. At the center of the guild was Mira sponsoring some kind championship; she had made a lot of chocolates to share with everyone, but there was only one left, so Macao, Wakaba, Warren and most of the male crowd were desperately fighting for it. Even Charle had a fish wrapped in a ribbon for Happy -who couldn't have a more appropriate name at the moment-.

After scanning the place with her eyes, Erza spotted Cana and Wendy sitting on a nearby table. She wasn't on the mood today to stop all those fights, so she decided to go with the girls.

"Hey! Erza! What's up? Want to join the Single-Lady club?" said Cana playfully.

"Haha you seem to be proud of it. I'm in" answered the said girl with a little smile on her face as she took a seat.

"That's great! Laki and Kinana are busy helping Mira as barmaids, but you'll be with me when Wendy leaves with Romeo!"

"WHAT?" yelled the little girl blushing a little at Cana's words.

"Hahaha I was joking! You are around the same age, that's all" she said and started to drink from her barrel, allowing Wendy to relax from the previous accusation.

Erza smiled. It was nice to have her comrades around; they would help to distract her mind today.

"Hey, I just noticed something" interrupted Erza as she seemed to be looking for someone.

"What is it?" asked the blue haired girl.

"Where are Alzack and Bisca?"

"I think I heard them say that they would be downtown enjoying the day with Asuka. They should be back in a few hours"

"I see… They are such a lovely family" affirmed Erza with a hint of nostalgia in her eyes. Al and Bisca have always been so close. It surprised her when she knew they were married. She used to see them as her siblings, as equals, but now they had their own family and were doing a great job as parents. She wondered for a moment how could it be… to be a mother.

Cana noticed the melancholy on her friend's face and quickly came up with something.

"So, Erza. Do you want me to read your luck?" she asked taking out her cards.

"Thanks, but I'll pass"

"Why?" asked the brunette, slightly disappointed.

"I already know it, don't waste your time on me"

"Come on! I am curious… I have a feeling" she insisted, trying to catch her friend's interest.

"Sorry, but I don't want to think about it. Why don't we hear Wendy's instead?"

"Eh? But that would be too boring" replied the youngest girl excusing herself.

"Oh, don't be so shy. It won't be worse than using the Jiggle Butt Gang's overall! hahahahaha"

And with that, Cana finally got the chance to use her cards. As the hours passed, more members approached to know their fortune. They were having so much fun, but Erza couldn't get rid of the sadness in her heart.

On the other side of the guild, Natsu and Gray were helping Mira with the stage settings. As usual, later on the afternoon each member could get their time to get up there and do whatever they wanted to express their feelings.

"Hey, droopy-eyes. Who do you think will participate this year?" asked Natsu while he was moving some lumber.

"How could I know? Even when nobody wants, someone else ends up pushing you on the stage against your will" answered Gray with a tired expression on his face.

"Well, this year it won't be so easy to make me-" he made a little pause as he seemed to be considering something "Hey! I have an idea!"

"Mmm?" the ice mage looked confused at Natsu's smirk trying to figure out what was on his mind this time "… Ha! I think I know what you're thinking" replied finally with a challenging smile.

"I'll make you fall first!" shouted both mages at the same time.

"Hehe, I want to see you trying. But first we gotta finish this. You want to stand on a proper stage when you lose, don't you?" asked Gray defiantly.

Dealing with all the verbal and non-verbal fights between the conflictive friends, it took a few hours to get the preparations done. Gray had been able to avoid getting involved in this event all these years by hiding himself on the restroom, helping backstage, or leaving unnoticed. But today, Natsu was after him. He would never run away from a duel like this, but knowing how persistent his rival was, he was starting to regret accepting his challenge. He wasn't willing to let the whole guild know about his feelings, but he wasn't the lying type either.

Gray looked at Erza. She was sitting alone near the entrance of the guild eating a piece of strawberry cake as usual. She didn't show it on her face, but somehow he knew she wasn't fine; she didn't stop his fight with Natsu that morning to begin with. He wanted to go with her, but the show was about to start and Juvia was especially clingy that day, he didn't want to drag her with him.

At that moment, lights went off and Mirajane appeared on the stage.

"Hello everyone! Sorry to keep you waiting. This will be our first St. Valentine event together in seven years, so I want all of you to participate! Let's do our best!"

People started cheering, so she waited a few seconds before continuing.

"I'll start reciting this poem I wrote to show how much I love all of you"

It was a little disappointing not being able to listen to her songs, but it was such a sweet poem that nobody complained. Right after her, the inevitable Gajeel's shooby doo bop appeared. It was hard to hear what he was singing over all the shouting and blunder it caused, but he still put all his heart into it. Then, Alzack, Bisca and Asuka made a little performance about family love.

As the acts went on, one after another, Gray was getting more and more worried about Erza. Usually, she would be the first one on the line, ready to participate. She considered everything a contest, and would be eager to try her best to win -even if it wasn't really a competition-. In her normal self, she would probably show the strength she has been developing to protect the people she loves, or maybe make some fanservice with a new costume. But today, she was just sitting quietly and alone. She was smiling, but there was a glimpse of sorrow in her eyes. Gray always had a soft spot for Erza. He wanted to see her happy and having fun with the rest of them as she used to.

He was so lost in thoughts that he didn't notice when Natsu took his arm from behind and raised it so hard he had to stand up from his seat.

"WHAT THE-" it took him a few seconds to realize that Natsu had volunteered him to be the next one on the stage. He was caught off guard.


	2. Be As One

**Hi again! Thank you so much for the feedback, I wasn't expecting such a nice reception!**

**This chapter includes a song I think everybody knows: Gray's ending, "Be as one" (by W-inds). I hope you like it, because I really wanted to write this (It's the main reason I started this fic actually hehehe)! **

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**Chapter 2:** "Be As One"

"Hahaaa! I won! It was so easy, you weren't even trying!" the dragon slayer couldn't stop laughing "I thought you would be more of a challenge to me, but it seems I'm just too awesome" he said closing his eyes with a confident attitude.

"Wait! No! That's not fair!" Gray certainly didn't want to do it, but he couldn't come up with a semi-decent reason to excuse himself and run away. It was even more difficult as people started to shout his name to encourage him. Of course they knew Natsu had forced him into this, but doing that was part of the tradition… or so they thought.

"Come on, Gray! Aren't you gonna do it? Are you that type of guy? Are you a coward?" the salamander was having so much fun with this.

"That's not MAAAAN!" shouted Elfman… trying to say the same as Natsu did.

"Go, Gray-sama! Show them how much you love Juvia" added the water mage blushing.

"Pathetic. If you don't want to go, then I will take your place" said Lyon in a superior tone.

"FINE! I'll do it!" Gray reluctantly accepted his defeat and walked slowly to the stage trying to figure out what should he do. He took a deep breath; it was no time to panic. He didn't have to take it too seriously. He could just do something ridiculous so everybody laughs and it's done, he could even ask Juvia to dance with him… or maybe he could just make a big heart with ice; that would be faster and less humiliating.

He came on stage and looked at the crowd; but then again, without noticing, his eyes were fixed on Erza. Why? Why couldn't he take her off his mind?! He needed to focus on the event right now… but she seemed to be so emotionally distant; as if she wasn't there at all.

He let out a big sight and instead of positioning himself to make his magic act, he took the microphone.

"Gajeel! Would you lend me your guitar?"

"Eeeh?! You wanna copy my shooby doo bop?!"

"What?! No way!"

"Mmm, you better not" he said and threw it to the stage.

Gray caught it, made sure it was tuned, and spoke awkwardly.

"… Ok, I'm… not good at introductions… so please just listen"

Everybody was cheering him up. He accommodated the guitar and started playing a beautiful and slow melody. The notes where smoothly accompanied by his voice, which surprised most of his friends who didn't know about his musical skills.

_Wooooooo, Yeeeh_

Finally focusing on what he was doing, Gray ignored the fact that he was about to open his heart in front of everyone, and on his mind there were just Erza and him.

_donna toki demo omotte iru yo aenai himo  
_(I'm always thinking at any time, even on days when we can't meet)

_Everytime I Feel  
_(Everytime I Feel)

_Ah attaka na tenohira kurumareta Heart &amp; Soul  
_(Ah my heart and soul wrapped in the warm palms of your hands)

_hanarezu ni koko ni aru  
_(Where are you when you haven't left me?)

_nanigenai yasashisa ni meguri au tabi  
_(When I met you by chance and saw your casual kindness) _  
_

_subete wo dakishimeta kunaru yo  
_(I wanted to embrace you)

Flashbacks flew inside his head as the words left his mouth. He could still remember the first time he saw her true self. She appeared to be the thought insensitive girl, but on the inside she was the sweetest person he had ever known. She would always give her best to improve, and he finally understood that her strength wasn't meant to hurt people, but to protect them… and to protect herself. That day, when he saw her by chance crying at the riverbank, was one of his most treasured memories; he really felt the need to embrace her, to comfort her… but it would be too embarrassing for his child self, so he just stayed with her to let her know he would always be there for her.

On the other hand, Erza's thoughts were still revolving around Jellal. She knew he was a kind guy. He gave her courage when she was still a shy little girl… at that young age he even encouraged all their friends to fight together for their freedom! Of course she knew about his horrible sins, but she had always believed in him.

_I Will -Be As One- kimi wo mamoritai  
_(I will –Be As One- I want to protect you)

_Stay With Me suki da yo Yes You itoshii hito  
_(Stay with me, I love you, yes you, my beloved person)

_afuredasu omoi kakusazu tsutaeru kara  
_(I'll tell you my overflowing thoughts without hiding them)

_tatta ichido deatta kisekisa  
_(You're a miracle I only met once)

_hoshi tachi ga musubi kagayaku you ni amatsubu  
_(Just like the stars which shine together)

_yagate umi ni sosogu yo ni  
_(and like the raindrops which eventually fall into the sea)

_futari kasaneaou Love kimi ga subete  
_(Let's come together Love, you are my everything)

And those were Gray's feelings exactly. He was as conscious about Titania's strength as he was about her weaknesses. She gets easily carried away by her feelings, she might feel powerless in an overwhelming battle as she did against Phantom Lord when Makarov got poisoned, and would be willing to lose an arm without thinking it twice to be able to keep fighting. She wouldn't mind to put herself into danger for her friend's sake… and he'd never forget when he almost lost her in the Tower of Heaven. Even when it might sound pointless talking about Erza, he had always felt the need to protect her, not just physically but also emotionally. He knew he wasn't the strongest wizard in the guild and that she could kick his ass anytime; but even if it was just helping her in battle, comforting her when she was down, or opposing to let her mutilate her body, he wanted to protect her... He wanted her to stay with him. Gray was well aware about her feelings towards Jellal, but he was happy just having her around in Fairy Tail and being able to see her smile everyday. Cana was so right when she read his fortune years ago. Erza wasn't only his lucky charm, she was his miracle.

But every word Gray was singing reminded Erza about Jellal, about the things he did trying to save his friends, about his sins, about how he is paying the consequences, and about the way he rejected her. She had always loved him, ever since they were just kids; that feeling gave her the courage to stand up and became the strong woman everybody knows. It was because of him, because she wanted to save him. It hurt her to know that in the end she left him behind and continued with her own happy life in Fairy Tail, with new friends and new ambitions. What was she supposed to do?

_honno sukoshi no surechigai sae Never Cry kitto uchiakete  
_(Even for tiny instances when we cross paths without meeting, never cry)

_Ah kimi ga daita yume ya yomikake no honno tsuduki koko he kite kikasete Say  
_(Ah, I'll come here and listen to the dreams you hold and the continuation to the book you were reading. Say)

_mada shiranu otagai wo atsumeru tabi ni tsuyoku naru kizuna ga aru kara  
_(When we collect small things about each other we didn't yet know about, the bonds we have between us will strengthen)

When they were children it was so natural to spend time together. Both were orphans and spent all day hanging out at Fairy Tail: training together, eating together, arguing, laughing, crying… oh God, they even took baths together! So even when none of them really liked to talk about their personal life before joining the guild, there were those "tiny instances" when he could see her opening her heart to him, telling him about her dreams, her ambitions, her expectations. Sometimes she talked about girly stuff like desserts, costumes, jewelry or novels; of course he wasn't that interested in those topics, but he loved to see the shine in her eyes as she spoke and her cute feminine side she tried to hide. A year later Natsu arrived and they became a trio. As the time passed, there weren't so many instances to sit quietly and chat about any common stuff. At the beginning Natsu spent most of his time with Lissana and looking for Igneel, but later on he and Happy were always with them. Erza focused on the S-Class Trial and Gray was busy dealing with his flaming rival and some quests. He thought that maybe time had put some distance between them… but every time he got a little chance to be with her, it felt as if time hadn't passed at all.

Erza started to shake. How was it possible? How could that song remind her so much about him?! Was Gray reading her mind? No, she knew that was impossible. But her earliest memories kept appearing inside her head. She also remembered the time she spent with Sho, Millianna, Wally and Simon. They loved to talk about the things they were doing during the day and what they'd do after getting their freedom. After all, keeping their hopes up was the only way to stay sane and survive. During that time Erza was especially interested in Jellal's stories; he was so nice, caring and brave while she was only a shy little girl who sat on a corner listening carefully to his words with admiration. She missed him… she missed being with the old Jellal.

_ima -Be As One- shinjite mitai  
_(Now –Be As One- I want to believe)

_zutto kienai ai ga aru koto  
_(That there is such a thing as an everlasting love)

_nagareru jikan ni futari wo kizamiaou  
_(Let's etch ourselves into each other)

_kuyamanai kono unmei wo  
_(In this destiny which we won't regret)

_teto teawase kanji au nukumori mitsume au tabi umareru yasuragi  
_(Bring our hands together and feel each other's warmth and feel the peacefulness born from each other's gaze)

_sore ga eien Only Shine kisurika kara  
_(That is eternity only shine because we realize)

And for the first time Gray and Erza were thinking the same: "it's impossible". They were not meant to be with the one they loved, that was reality; but even if it was just for a moment they wanted to try believing it was different.

Life would be so perfect just being able to hold hands and talk about intranscendental stuff, not having to worry about hiding their feelings anymore and just enjoying being with that person. That's everything they could wish for. But it was just a fantasy… what a bittersweet feeling.

_haru to natsu to aki fuyu to ikutsu mo no egao wo chiribame  
_(Whether spring, summer, autumn and winter, I want to set your many smiling faces)

_sekai de hitotsu no monogatari katarou itsuka  
_(Into one of the world's stories and tell it one day)

Gray loved Erza's smiles and he sworn he would protect it no matter what. That's the main reason why he wants her to stay in Fairy Tail: it makes her happy and he is able to be by her side and take care of her when she needs him. He wants to protect her smile. Sure, Erza seemed to be angry most of the time, but everybody knew she loved the guild and its sometimes-foolish members. Gray wished things could stay like that forever.

But on her seat, Erza was on the verge of tears. When was the last time she saw him smiling? a true natural smile… she couldn't remember. His optimism, his laugh and his bright smile were the reason why she fell for him in first place. What happened? Why did it have to end like this?!

_I Will -Be As One- kimi wo mamoritai  
_(I will-Be As One- I want to protect you)

_Stay With Me AISHITERU…  
_(Stay with me, I love you...)

_afuredasu omoi kakusazu tsutaeru kara Ah... Wow...  
_(I'll tell you my overflowing thoughts without hiding them)

Even when Gray was singing with his eyes closed most of the time, he couldn't help but to stare directly at Erza by the second verse: _Stay with me, I love you_. His eyes showed a mixture of affection, endearment and care, dyed with a soft trace of sorrow and a strong feeling of impotence.

Fortunately for Gray, nobody seemed to notice it… except from Juvia, who happened to be sitting right before Erza, and totally assumed those words were addressed to her and only her. The water mage didn't know if it was reality or just another fantasy of hers, but her heart couldn't resist the overwhelming waterfall of feelings and fainted happily, resting her head on the table with a worrying Lyon by her side.

That was it, he finally said it -or rather sang it- and looking straight at her. Why did he do that? He knew about her feelings for Jellal, and he didn't want anyone to know about his own feelings; especially Erza. He didn't want to put her in that situation, trying to find the words to reject him. Then, why did he open his heart so carelessly? Well, he got his answer as he sang those last words: he didn't want to hide his feelings anymore. Somewhere between his trails of thoughts he found the courage to let her know how he was feeling, even if it was rather selfish considering the situation. But Titania's reaction wasn't what he was expecting.

The red haired mage was looking down at the table in front of her; she didn't realize Gray was looking at her at the moment. She felt defeated. Everything she ever wanted was to protect her beloved friends, but she wasn't able to protect him. She was weak. And because of that she lost the person she cared the most in this world. Yes, Jellal was alive, but his personality had changed forever. Erza couldn't hold back her feelings any longer and a single tear dropped down her cheek before getting up and leaving the guild silently. She didn't want to be seen like that, nor ruin the mood of the event. Deep inside she wanted to stay until the end of the song, but it was like listening to her own heart's voice; and it was shouting so loudly that she wasn't able to control herself anymore. She apologized mentally with Gray for her rudeness before leaving.

As Erza was sitting near the doors, nobody else saw her walking away. Gray was the only one to notice, but he had to suppress the need to go after her and finish the song first if he didn't want to drag all the attention and make his guild-mates worry about Erza -when she clearly didn't want that-.

_ima -Be As One- shinjite mitai  
_(Now –Be As One- I want to try believing)

_zutto kienai ai ga aru koto  
_(That there is such a thing as an everlasting love)

_nagareru jikan ni futari wo kizamiaou  
_(Let's etch ourselves into each other)

_kuyamanai kono unmei wo  
_(In this destiny which we won't regret)

_teto teawase kanji au nukumori mitsume au tabi umareru yasuragi  
_(Bring our hands together and feel each other's warmth and feel the peacefulness born from each other's gaze)

_sore ga eien Only Shine kisurika kara_  
(That is eternity only shine because we realize)

Gray knew he could make her happy. If he just could get a chance to prove it, just a chance, he knew they would not regret it! He really cared about her, deeply and genuinely. He would never do anything to make her cry like Jellal did. In fact, somehow he guessed the tattooed mage was the reason why Erza was crying right now. Then, _why…_ why did she still have feelings for him? What makes him so special? Why wouldn't she look at his handsome ice mage friend instead? Maybe he wasn't as tall as Jellal, he didn't have that strong presence either, nor did evoke respect and greatness as him... Gray was more like a brother in Erza's eyes; a kindhearted, clumsy and stripper brother. It hurt him to accept it, but after all these years he finally decided he would hide his feelings and make everything in his hands to make her happy; because protecting her smile was a personal quest he never wanted to end.

As he finished playing the last notes with the guitar, he looked at the crowd. Most of them had gotten over the impact he caused with his unseen musical skills, and listened to him quietly enjoying the pleasant melody. Only Natsu was still in shock, unable to believe his plan to make him look like an idiot didn't work.

Everyone was clapping as he added a small "Thank you" and got down the stage. It surprised him how nobody was asking him who was the person he was singing about. The truth is that they all assumed it was for Juvia, because he was saying "something about raindrops and stuff"; but there were a few more intuitive members that actually paid attention to the lyrics and knew the Fullbuster well enough to draw their own conclusions.

"Wow Gray! I didn't know you played the guitar!" said Lucy standing from her seat to congratulate her friend.

"That's not fair! You didn't tell me you already had something prepared to show off!" claimed a mad Natsu standing up and following the proud girl.

"I didn't. I'm just that cool you know"

"Gray-san looked like a professional!" praised Wendy joining them with Charle.

"Well… thanks" answered the named guy starting to blush a little with all the compliments.

"GRAY-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Gray was death sure that every person in Magnolia heard that shout. He was considering the idea to hide somewhere, but Juvia was already running towards him.

"Yo! Juvia… How… how are you?" he didn't have something better to say at the moment.

"Oooh! Gray-sama doesn't have to be so shy! Juvia knows about his love for her, and that he wants to marry Juvia and have lots of children with her and-"

"What? No! Wait!"

"Haha, well, I don't think he said anything about that…" added Lucy nicely trying to help Gray with this.

"What are you saying, love rival?! Are you implying he was proposing to YOU?!" Juvia was now trying to kill the blonde girl with her glare.

"N-N-No, that's not what I meant. I-"

"Hey girls, why don't you take your rivalry to the stage? And the winner keeps Gray" suggested Mira with a reassuring smiling face.

"Wait a moment! I am not a trophy!"

"Come on, you need this" said Mira winking at him, taking Gray by surprise.

"Let's settle this, love rival!" shouted Juvia dragging Lucy with her.

"But I am not your rival!" she cried.

"What? I don't understand. Are you going to battle? I want to join!" yelled Natsu getting on the stage eager to fight.

Mirajane waited until they were far enough.

"Now you can leave" she whispered, looking at Gray with a smile.

"… You are the best" he said smiling her back before heading to the doors where Lyon was standing.

Gray stopped, and they exchanged glances for a few seconds.

"Hm, Good luck" said Lyon half smiling and putting his fist in front of him.

"H-Hey, it's not like I'm going to confess or anything"

Gray certainly wasn't comfortable with all this sudden support, but he bumped fists with his old friend anyway, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Take care of Juvia while I'm out"

"I will" reassured Lyon.

And with that said, Gray finally left.

"Erza…"


	3. About Feelings

**I'm sorry for taking so long to update! I am reeeally slow at writing and work has been hell lately! But I'll do my best to publish the next chapter as soon as possible, I promise.**

**And thank you SO much for your reviews! They make me want to keep it going, thanks a lot! I'm glad you like it [[and I love seeing there are still some GrayZa fans around! :^) ]]**

**Now, here we go!**

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**Chapter 3: **"About Feelings"

The day was coming to the end as the sun was starting to make its way into the horizon. Celebrations were still going on in the streets, and they would be until the end of the Love Festival that people in Magnolia have been holding all day.

Gray was walking on the streets, looking for one of the strongest women to support her in one of her weakest moments. Where would she go? The riverbank they used to visit did not exist any longer. He missed that place and all the good memories it gave him. A lot of them were fights with Natsu of course; but it was also a special place to be with Erza, the real Erza –the woman behind the armor. They spent so much time together looking at that river when they were children. When Gray was feeling down she always knew what to say to make him recover the spirit. Truth to be told, most of the times she just scolded him, but her words came from her heart, not just the _follow-the-rules-or-I-kill-you _lecture; and that was enough for him. As for Gray, he never knew what to do or say when she was sad, so he rather sit by her side until the tears disappeared; and that was enough for her.

As Erza grew up she became familiar with everyone in Fairy Tail. She made friends, became stronger, and little by little her visits to their secret place looking for comfort started to decrease. The last time they talked there was the night before she made the S-Class Trial. The next thing he knew was the riverbank was gone.

Now, this clueless guy had to figure out her whereabouts. She had never stayed at her room in Fairy Hills when she felt sad. Obviously, she wasn't in the square either –because of the festival-, nor in her favorite coffees or stores. Everywhere was crowded so he clearly wouldn't find her there.

"Damn it! Where did you go?" he said to himself as he kept prowling through the streets.

Suddenly, he stopped. Wait. Maybe… maybe he knew where she was. Chances were low, but he had to try it out.

.

The wind was blowing. The tears on her cheeks have already dried up as the cold air touched her face and softly caressed her scarlet hair.

She was sitting on the swing of an old and small park while looking at the sky, the same sky that used to appear before her as a promise of freedom years ago. She sighed. So many questions she'd like to get answers for. What was the price of their freedom? What could she have done to make things different? Where did she fail? What was Jellal doing right now? Was he celebrating Valentine's Day? Was he having fun? Was he thinking about her?

Tears were attempting to start falling again when she heard a familiar voice calling her from behind.

"Hey"

It took her a second to focus, but Erza smiled as she recognized the owner of that voice. Her fingers made their way to clean up her eyes.

"How did you find me?" she finally said turning her head to look at him.

Gray approached and smiled her back.

"This place… you still remember it" he said nostalgically while looking around.

"Of course I do. I used to spend my time here when our place at the riverbank was being used by someone else"

'_our place'_

"and… " she added almost inaudibly.

"And here is where I got to make you laugh for the first time since you arrived" he finished.

Erza smiled again as she remembered that day. That was the first time she really felt that joining Fairy Tail was the right decision.

"Do you mind if I…?" asked the dark haired mage while looking at the swing on her left.

"Come on Gray, you know you are the only one I don't" she said still smiling and turning again to look at the grass in front of her.

It was true. Somehow Gray was always the one by her side when she was fighting her ghosts; back then when they were children, during the Grand Magic Games, and even now.

He took his seat and looked at her, unable to hide his concern.

"So, Erza… What happened?"

She didn't answer. Her beautiful face being covered by sorrow again. Maybe that question was too much for a start.

"Am I really that bad as a singer?" he said trying to make her feel more comfortable.

"Haha sorry, that's not it, Gray. In fact, I would say it was beautiful… maybe too much"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know… It just… reminded me… "

"… About _him_?"

Erza felt silent, surprised that the ice mage have guessed it so fast. Was she really that easy to read?

The girl nodded. She was nervous, embarrassed, and somehow vulnerable. You could guess all that by the way she was clenching her fists while biting her lower lip, slightly blushing at the confession she just made. It was pretty rare to see her like this.

Gray's cheeks turned into a soft shade of pink too. She looked so…

"… cute" Oh, damn! He didn't realize he said that aloud.

"What?" the scarlet mage said in disbelief.

"N-No, it's nothing!" Gray almost shouted.

"But I swear I heard–" she considered the idea "… nevermind" but she discarded it.

As the night was starting to take over the sky, crickets appeared to fill the silence that was born between them. Gray was trying to calm down, and he didn't want to force her to talk, so he just waited until she was ready to say something. Fortunately for him, it didn't take too long.

"Gray"

"Hm?"

"Is there something wrong with me?"

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"Answer me... please"

"I-I don't think so. You're… fine the way you are"

"You mean it?"

"Sure"

Erza frowned starting to look distraught.

"Then tell me why?!" she cried. "Why am I alone? Why does he keep rejecting me? What can I do? There _must_ be something wrong with me–!"

"Erza, no!" he stopped her. It broke his heart to see her like this. After his interruption he realized what she said and turned to look straight at her. "Wait, do you mean he turned you down?"

The armored girl could only nod again, unable to speak because she knew her voice would break.

Gray was raging inside. Was Jellal still making her cry?! After that guy finally seemed to have changed for good and was trying to make things right, he dared to make her suffer even more? Was he serious? Wasn't he supposed to love her back? Sure, Gray understood that maybe the situation wasn't the best to start a relationship, but did he give up on her so easily? Really? After all Erza has gone through for him? For his sake?... Jellal had the one thing that Gray could only dream of and he just threw it away! Was it that maybe Jellal had never seen her crying? Cause Gray was sure that if he had, he would never want to see a single tear on her face ever again; moreover, he wouldn't be the cause of them!

Gray stood up from his seat and knelt down before Erza, staring directly at her. As they made eye contact and he was able to see her broken heart, he bowed his head apologizing.

"Erza… I'm sorry, I lied to you"

"What?"

"When I said you were fine the way you are… I lied"

"What did you say?" she was getting angry, why would he lie in a situation like this? Was he scared or something? But then a glimpse of hope overcame her anger and encouraged her to keep asking. "Then what is it? Do you know what I am missing?"

"No"

"So is it something I must get rid of?"

"No Erza, that's not what I mean" he said shaking his head before looking at her, she was confused. "You are not _fine_… you are _awesome_"

Her eyes became wider as she evidently wasn't expecting that answer. Gray, still staring at her, took her hands firmly between his own. His touch was surprisingly warm and comforting.

"Listen to me; you don't have to feel bad. You have done everything the best you could manage… and let me tell you, that is way more than any mage around here could have ever imagined. I would like to say that if there's someone at fault here it's him, but I suppose I'm not the one to judge since somehow it has to do with Ultear and my master too… But you know him better; maybe he just needs time to forgive himself"

"Gray… seven years have passed, remember? He will never come back… he doesn't want to"

"Then, he's an idiot for letting you go" he said without giving it a second thought. "Anyway, it's not your fault. You are kind, strong, smart, and dangerously gorgeous; you know who you are. Furthermore, if you want to know my personal opinion about this… I don't like him… I don't because he makes you sad, because he's always hurting your feelings, and because" –_I am jealous_–"… because… even so…" –_I am so DAMN jealous_– "he seems to be the one for you…"

Gray didn't notice he was squeezing her hands, but Erza didn't seem to mind since she was completely absorbed by his words.

"Erza, you deserve better I tell you; but if Jellal is the person you chose, then you must fight for him as you always do. Fight for your convictions… and I will support you. I'll keep you sane… and smiling, cause if you wanna go after him, you better show him one of your wonderful smiles" he said reassuringly while cleaning her tears with his right hand, even when his own eyes showed that something was breaking inside of him.

She was blushing, and not exactly because of Jellal. There was something in Gray's words that made her feel special… as a woman… something that had never happened before.

"Gray…"

Erza didn't know how to react or what to say, everything was confusing. As she became conscious of Gray's touch, her heartbeat began to increase. She didn't know why… What was happening? Why was she nervous? She felt the need to hug him so bad –and in her normal self she wouldn't have a problem with that–, but something inside her chest was making her doubt. Everything around them felt different, her heart was feeling different. No, her recent breakdown had to be the reason why her mind wasn't working properly. Yes, the breakdown made her feel vulnerable… that's all.

"… Please, go to your seat" she said looking away, trying to hide her face.

Gray did as he was told, a little disappointed by the way she ignored the words he struggled so much to say.

He screwed it. Maybe he shouldn't have spoken ill about Jellal. Maybe he made things worse. Maybe Erza will not want to keep talking about this with him. Maybe–

"Thank you"

What? His eyes opened in surprise as he turned to check if he heard right. She was still looking down, but he got to see a little smile on her face. It made him feel so warm inside, he thought his heart stopped for a second... or two.

"Anytime" he finally said giving her a half smile.

They fell silent again, but this time the atmosphere was different. They were sitting there just enjoying each other's company. Erza was so glad to have Gray by her side right now; maybe Cana's _feeling_ that morning wasn't all wrong after all.

"Gray… Can I tell you something?"

"Of course"

"But don't think badly about me"

"Hm? Is it really that terrible?" he said laughing a little. What could it be? Since when was she afraid of telling him something?

Well, actually she didn't seem to be afraid or nervous. She was quietly looking at the sky with a satisfied expression on her face, but somehow it looked as if she was embarrassed of admitting something.

"… You see, sometimes… I… feel jealous"

"Jealous?"

"Yes. Sometimes I feel jealous of Juvia"

"…"

"Gray?"

"… I'm sorry. I think I misheard you. Did you say… Juvia?"

"Yes, Juvia"

"But– I don't understand! Why?"

"Because she has you"

Ok, what KIND of game was his mind playing on him right now?!


	4. Changes

**Hi! I am sorry for taking so long to update, work and studies have been terrible these months. But I finally managed to write the last chapter! Yay!**

**I want to thank you guys so much for the reviews; they were my motivation to keep going. I'm probably the slowest writer ever… I get like 4 lines per hour! But I really wanted to finish this, so thank you for your support.**

**[Offtopic for Latin-Americans?: about the "double J duo", a few days ago I was watching El chavo del 8, and I just noticed the similarities between Juvia and La bruja del 71… there are so many! I laughed my ass off! I'm sorry, I had to share this with you~]**

**Ok, last chapter!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 4: **"Changes"

"Are you jealous of Juvia because of me? What do you mean?" asked Gray, still in disbelief.

"Well… she is in love with someone who makes her happy everyday"

Gray felt a little disappointed since his heart was naively waiting for another answer, but he understood. Juvia used to be gloomy and lonely, mostly because of her past. She got bullied as a child and her ex-boyfriends broke up with her because of that. Erza had suffered in a different way too, but she still wasn't able to get over it.

"Even when she thought she was cursed and that her existence was meant that way, you brought light back to her life. You put a smile on her face, and now she has something–… no, _someone_ to live for" she said barely swinging "Juvia found a family here in Fairy Tail and is not alone anymore. She met that person who fills her heart, and strives every day to get closer to you. I admire her way to face life. And Gray, _you_ made that change in her"

The Fullbuster was thoughtfully looking at his shoes without saying a word. Maybe she was right about Juvia, but he didn't feel it that way. Life would be so perfect if he could just return the feelings of the water mage, but it wasn't so simple… no when his heart had never felt for Juvia what it had for Erza.

"Now that I think about it, you brought that light into my life too"

'_Then why aren't you the one in love with me?_'

"You are special, Gray. I don't know how you do it, maybe you don't know it yourself, but you manage to give us hope. And somehow, when I'm with you, I realize my problems aren't as big as I have imagined... or maybe they aren't just because I know you are here" she said letting out a sigh and starting to look sad again "I wish… I wish Jellal could be more like you"

'_Don't play with me… don't compare me to him'_

"Juvia will probably get the life I have always dreamed of. And I know you seem to be tough, but you care about her. That song was so sweet it really made me feel a little jealous–"

"The song wasn't meant for her"

Those words came out from his mouth before he could realize. It took both of them by surprise, but there was no regret. Gray didn't want her to keep thinking he had feelings for Juvia.

"What? But… then… whom?" Erza was really confused. She could have sworn the song was dedicated to the lovely blue mage. When did Gray develop feelings for someone else?

"I…" he was hesitating, should he tell her? Was that the right decision? "I… can't…" no, he didn't want to tell her the whole truth; he knew her heart had always belonged to someone else "… Sorry"

Erza didn't know how to feel about it. She sensed there was something wrong with Gray, why would he want to keep it a secret? There were no secrets between them!

"Don't you trust me?"

"That's not it. It's just that… I can't tell it to you" he said shaking his head still looking down.

"Why? You know I would support you!"

"I know, but…" he couldn't say anything.

"Is it one of our friends?" she asked trying to guess.

"…"

"Lucy? Mira? Cana?"

"No, it's not that simple–"

"Then a taboo? Wendy?... Oh my God! Natsu? Or perhaps… you are also in love with Jellal?!"

"Are you nuts?!" he looked at her with the most puzzled face he had. Seriously, what was she thinking!

"Then tell me" she wanted to know. She _needed_ to know. If the song wasn't for Juvia, then it was a platonic fantasy just like hers. The way it made her feel must be somehow related to Gray's own feelings as well. And if someone was making him suffer like this, she certainly wouldn't sit idly and do nothing about it. If he didn't want to tell her, she would have to figure it out herself. Someone to Gray who could be like Jellal to her, maybe… "Ultear?"

_Ultear_… the sole name brought back a mixture of feelings he wasn't able process at the moment. Yes, she meant a lot to him. He owed her so much, more than he thought. It wasn't _just_ his life, it was everyone's lives! The fact that he was able to breathe, to laugh, to cry, and to share this moment with Erza… everything was thanks to her.

"Ultear, I really like her" admitted Gray.

"… S-So… she–" muttered the red haired girl.

"But not in the way you are asking me right now" he interrupted looking at the cloudy sky, no stars where shining at the moment "She is like a sister to me. A sister that I knew too late" the Fullbuster added now facing his partner.

Erza let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Was she… relieved?

They felt silent for a second. She realized it was hard for him to speak about Ultear, maybe as hard as it was for her to speak about Jellal. She felt bad to have asked so abruptly, but Gray knew Titania wasn't giving up just because of that.

"Why the sudden interest in my love life?"

"Because I care about you" her answer came so fast, almost as if she was waiting for him to ask that exactly. Erza didn't hesitate; she was as determined as always "I feel that I rely in you too much. Now I want to help you out"

"There's no way you can help me with this"

"Why?"

"…"

"Tell me"

"…"

"Gray!"

"She loves someone else, ok? And you can't do anything about that"

The scarlet girl got taken aback, she wasn't expecting that.

"Erza, I know your intentions are good, but trust me… there's nothing to do here"

"Have you told her?" –maybe that was the answer–.

"Why should I? She'll never see me as anything more than a friend" he wanted to look at her, but he knew his eyes would let him exposed.

"You will never know if you don't fight for it!"

"No" he sighed "There's no meaning in telling her. It would only hurt both of us, I know. She'd reject me... and even then I won't be able to stop thinking about her"

"You mean… the same way Juvia can't stop thinking about you?"

"Yes, something like that" he admitted "I understand Juvia's feelings, and I don't want to hurt her. She is a great woman and she deserves to be loved, it's just that I… don't love her" he said turning to face Erza "… the same way the person I love doesn't love me back because she wants to be with someone else" the frustration in his expression was evident.

"So everybody is in love with the wrong person?"

"That seems to be the case. It's crazy, I know. Like a bad soap opera"

"Anyway, never lose hope. Feelings can change" said Erza giving him a reassuring smile.

"Are you sure?"

"Mmmh… think about Natsu. I'm quite sure he had feelings for Lissana when they were children, but now he is all over Lucy, right?"

"Eh?! How can you be so sure about that?" asked Gray rather embarrassed and shocked by the way she made that a fact.

"It's pretty obvious, don't you think?"

"W-Well, maybe…" he really didn't want to talk about his flaming rival's love interests right now.

Erza looked at him. She wanted to cheer him up, but he seemed lost in thought again.

"I tried" murmured Gray.

"What?" asked Erza barely hearing his voice.

"I have tried to get rid of my feelings. I have tried so many times, it's ridiculous" he said standing up, unable to stay quiet.

"Gray…"

"But I can't. I can't change my feelings. I can't think of someone else, I can't pretend she is Juvia" the ice mage closed his eyes in frustration lifting his head. Maybe he didn't really want to forget about Erza. He loved her and he knew nobody else could ever take her place. He wouldn't try to force his feelings anymore, he would just keep them to himself and–

What? What happened? Something interrupted his thoughts? And why does it feel so warm all of a sudden?

The scent… The strong grip… Gray opened his eyes and the only thing he could see was her distinct red hair in front of him.

"E-Erza" he managed to say slightly blushing, still surprised by the sudden embrace.

"Don't worry" she said loosening the grip and putting her hands on his shoulders to look directly at him with a soft smile "You will find your happiness, I know"

Oh my! Her face was way too damn close! He HAD to change the subject if he didn't want to do something that could end up ruining everything.

"W-What about yours?"

She took off her hands from Gray and turned a little, trying to hide her countenance.

"Don't worry about me" she said trying to sound confident "I'm strong, and time will help"

"Erza, there's no reason for you to give up on Jellal, I'm sure he loves you back"

"No" she said letting out a sigh "And even if he does, we will never be together; we chose different paths in life"

He just stared at her for a moment; he knew she was just pretending to be fine.

"May I ask you something?" inquired the ice mage.

Erza looked at him, confused.

"What do you like about him?"

Gray knew that question was just his jealousy speaking, but it was something he had been willing to ask for so long.

Erza's eyes went wide. What did she like about Jellal? Well, so many things! But…

"I... I don't know" what could she say? "I mean, I really liked him when we were children, but now his personality has changed and he is like a completely different person. I can't say anymore what I like about him…" she said turning to the side, avoiding Gray's look "But still, I want to be with him and get to know him better. I know the old Jellal is still somewhere inside of him" her voice was starting to break.

Gray's chest tightened. Why did she have to suffer for a guy like this? What did Jellal do to her?

He walked around to get closer and meet her gaze.

"Erza, everybody changes. You are not the same shy little girl he used to know either" he saw her eyes where fighting back the tears again. God, he hated to see her crying. Girl's tears were one of his weak points, especially hers.

Before realizing, Gray was wrapping his arms around Erza in a protective hug. He came here to comfort her after all, not the other way around. Anyway, he was glad that she could not see his face right now because he knew she would notice the embarrassment on his face even though he was trying to stay cool.

"It's ok" he spoke softly in her ear "It's not something you have to put into words; you just have to feel it"

It surprised her at first, but that was exactly what she needed. Erza finally burst into tears in Gray's chest, her arms also wrapped around his torso, holding him closer. She cried and cried, letting out everything she had been holding back all day. Gray caressed her head slowly and they stayed like that for a few minutes, enjoying the proximity. It's been so long since he could really feel her this close, just the two of them.

Erza knew Gray was right, she knew Jellal would probably never be the same, she knew both of them wanted her to be with someone else, she knew all of that! But how could she make her heart understand? It couldn't be helped. She hated it… she hated love, she hated Jellal, she hated Valentine, she hated everything. It was supposed to be a happy day, but all she could do was mourn and whine. Titania tried to stay strong and not let it bother her, but it was too much. Everything that day made her feel awful… Well, maybe _not_ everything. She didn't expect Gray to stay with her like this; being by his side had always made her feel better; she was glad he had found her there. Erza could just be herself and tell him everything because she knew he would always listen to her. Nothing to hide, nothing to fear. Her first friend in Fairy Tail, maybe her best friend; the one who knows her better and likes her that way.

She wasn't crying anymore, but she didn't move an inch. Being in Gray's arms felt so good… she felt safe, understood, supported. His chest was surprisingly warm, and the way he was caressing her hair made her feel like a little girl again, she liked it. Even though he still had his clothes on, she could hear his heartbeat. The reassuring sound made her forget about all her problems, her breathing now synchronized with his. Without noticing, a little smile appeared on her face.

And as if Erza's frame of mind were connected to Heaven, clouds started to vanish. One after another, the starts appeared to join the moon and fill the vast dark sky above the two mages.

Suddenly she realized… when did his chest become so wide? Until then, she wasn't aware of the muscles Gray had developed through the years; he was already a grown up man! His arms also felt really strong, and he was about the height of… Jellal. But the ice mage wasn't him. And you know what? That was great. Maybe she lost Jellal when she left the Tower of Heavens years ago, but she would never regret joining Fairy Tail.

'_I'm really happy I got to know you'_

At this thought, Erza didn't understand why her face started to feel so warm all of a sudden; was she… blushing? No, impossible. No, no, no, no! Of course she was fond of her stripper friend, but she would never develop any other kind of feelings for him… right?

"Gray"

"Hm?"

"If next year you are still single– I mean, if you are not dating the person you like…" she made a pause, Gray carefully listening to her "w-would you mind spending Valentine with me again?" she asked with her head still on his chest, kind of embarrassed to have asked something like that.

Gray's eyes went wide. Was Erza Scarlet asking him for a date? Just the two of them? Alone? Ok, she wasn't probably thinking about anything like that. It was just a favor –a _paradoxical_ favor. But he was frozen; he didn't know how to give her a proper answer.

Erza could feel his body was tense. Maybe he didn't like the idea after all.

"I'm sorry" she said starting to loosen the grip to release the hug "if you don't want to–"

But Gray held her closer once again, hiding his face on her hair.

"I'd love to" he whispered "And don't worry… either way, I will"

She couldn't have expected those words would make her feel so full of joy, something warm comforting her from the inside. She was relieved to know Gray wasn't rejecting her like Jellal did before. But wait, why did he say _either way? _If he had plans with his date she wouldn't want to bother him! Unless–

'_Could it be possible?'_

Due to her own anxiety she hadn't noticed until now that the ice mage's heartbeat was still pounding like crazy.

'_Maybe Gray's crush is actually…'_

Everything made sense that way: the reason why he didn't want to tell her, his reactions, his words, and maybe even the fact that he was the only one who left the guild a few moments ago to come after her! If that was true, then what should she do? Would she reject him?

Erza slightly pulled him away, enough to get to see his face. The face of the one who is always by her side, through thick and thin, supporting her more than any of her guildmates. It was so confusing. She thought she loved Jellal, then how could she feel something for Gray? Maybe it was a different feeling? And what if she was wrong and the guy in front of her loved someone else? Even if that was the case it was too late, the truth is that the more she saw him, the less she cared about everything else.

Gray just stayed there, a little confused by Erza's stare but admiring how gorgeous she looked under the moonlight. He wished his magic could freeze time... but not now because she was… moving? Her face was slowly getting closer to his own! He got nervous, what was she doing? Without thinking his eyes focused on her slightly parted lips.

"Gray"

The named guy didn't say anything. His heart pounding in expectation.

"… Thank you"

Fireworks appeared in the sky announcing the end of the Love Festival, but the duo didn't turn to watch them.

Maybe Gray couldn't change his feelings, but hers… hers were already changing.

* * *

**Finally! It took me so long, but it is finally finished! I will let you decide whether you want to think they kissed or not in the end 8)**

**Truth to be told, I wasn't planning to make Erza kind of **_**return**_** Gray's feelings but… things turned out this way… and I liked it!**

**I hope you guys enjoyed it because I really did at writing it. I apologize again for the English mistakes :(**

**I'd love to know you opinion, so please leave a review. Thank you!**


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